The Next 500 Weeks
No doubt our readers may tire of hearing about our milestones. Over the last week, we’ve published three articles marking our 500th week of publication at P&D.1This post will be last, I promise!
When institutions or people hit nice round numbers — like 500! — we often mark the milestone. Next year will mark my 39th wedding anniversary, assuming the Lord gives us the days. That is a great milestone, but the following year — number 40!! — well, that just seems more significant, doesn’t it? We like those round numbers and celebrate them more, even though, as I say about my birthdays, “It’s just another day.”
Our previous articles were reflective. When you reach a milestone, you want to look back. You review accomplishments, you perhaps reflect on mistakes, make resolutions to do better, and you look forward to what is coming next. Milestones are a means of growth, or ought to be.
With this article, I want to take a prospective look. The next 500 weeks (almost ten years) will no doubt involve changes. We all age, the Lord has other plans, things change. While the older we get the harder change can be on us, we should embrace change as stepping stones in personal and spiritual growth.
One thing that I look forward to as P&D progresses is the growth of our writers. We are thankful for a good group of writers who contribute to our site. Some go back with us some years and I am blessed by the growth in their own spiritual lives during this time. Their growth reflects itself in their writing. I expect to see more and better from the younger men (and some ladies) who continue to make contributions for us as we go forward.
Another thing I look forward to is the growth of our ministry through P&D. We have ideas for other ways to interact with readers, to promote a biblical Baptist fundamentalist2 worldview for the edification of God’s people.
For P&D to grow, we need more people involved. Personally, editing the blog is a labor of love. I love to write, I love to think about the topics that concern Christians in our present world, and I love finding new material (and new writers) to share with God’s people. Yet the time will come when age will take its toll. I am not yet decrepit, but we are praying for additional people to take up some responsibilities.
Here are the kind of people we are looking for: first, they must subscribe to the FBFI statement of faith, the overall ministry of the FBFI and be members! That probably goes without saying! Beyond that, we need people who have editing skills, who have experience or interest in online communication, including advertising, podcasting, newsletters, blogs, and online promotions. We need people who are volunteers, because we can’t pay anything, at least not at the moment.
We also and always need more writers. We need writers who could contribute regularly or occasionally. We need writers with insight into current affairs from a biblical perspective. We need to be able to give good answers for the pressing questions of our days. We can even have writers disagree with one another (on some points — the fundamentals must not waver). We wonder if one of our new writers could be you?
As we look forward, we see our world conducting more and more business and communication online. Often this is maddening (don’t get me started on a call to the bank today… or was it ten calls?). Nevertheless, online communication looks like the future. We hope we can find more people who share our views of the Bible and Christian life and want to benefit others with the lessons the Lord has taught you.
If you think you could help us, please contact me and I’d be glad to talk more with you about it.
Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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